New Orleans Saints just might be looking for a running back in the upcoming NFL draft

Everyone knows the Saints need a defensive playmaker in the upcoming NFL draft.

But no one knows if any will be left when the Saints hit the clock at No. 14.

Aaron Curry and Brian Orakpo will be long gone. But what if Malcolm Jenkins, Aaron Maybin, B.J. Raji and Everette Brown also are off the board?

And what if the Saints strike out in their attempts to trade down?

What if the best player on the board is -- gulp! -- a running back?

Then what?

Saints Coach Sean Payton undoubtedly has considered such a scenario for the April 25 first round. And if it plays out that way, don't be surprised if he pulls the trigger on a running back, either Georgia's Knowshon Moreno or Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells.

Asked last month if the Saints had addressed enough of their defensive needs in free agency to draft a running back at No. 14, Payton said, "I think that's fair to say."

But which one? Wells and Moreno are the consensus top two prospects, and both could be on the board when the Saints pick.

Something tells me Georgia's on Payton's mind. Here's why.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Payton said the most difficult trait to evaluate in a player also might be the most critical determinant of success: How important football is to the player.

"How much he loves the game," Payton said. "That's the inexact part of what we're doing. That's the part that's hardest to test."

Now check out the draft evaluations for Moreno and Wells from NFLDraftScout.com's Dave Te'-Thomas:

CHARACTER: "Moreno is a highly competitive sort who needs to control and tone down his celebration antics on the field, but has developed into a solid leader-by-example type. He is a quiet sort, respectful of his elders and has no known off-field issues." GRADE: 7.3

"Wells has no off-field issues, but there are questions surrounding his leadership skills and maturity. . . . Some scouts feel that he was not allowed to grow as a person at OSU, where the staff seemed to have two sets of rules -- one for the team and the other to 'baby' Wells." GRADE: 6.0

COMPETITIVENESS: "Moreno shows good toughness and will aggressively take on a tackler and compete in a game. He is a very competitive player who will never shy away from contact. GRADE: 8.3

"Wells runs hot and cold here. When his head is in the game, he is virtually unstoppable. But there are times when you can't keep him on the field, as there is always a little bump, bruise or ding that will see him bolt to the sidelines. Scouts question his toughness and field smarts, as he has put the ball on the ground quite a bit." GRADE: 5.4.

WORK HABITS: "Moreno is not the type who needs to be monitored or have his buttons pushed. . . . He is a mentally tough character who doesn't let some mistakes take him out of his game. . . . He is a self-starter, leader-by-example type who has pushed himself throughout his career." GRADE: 7.7

"Wells is compliant and does spend extra hours in the training room, but needs a bit of monitoring. He seems to have grown up a bit, and his work ethic is getting better, but he still needs to be pushed in order to perform to expectations of the coaches in the offseason program." GRADE: 6.0

If the Saints' choice comes down to Wells and Moreno, then I know the winner of that contest.

I know what you're thinking. Don't Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas have similar skills and running styles to Moreno, who is 5 feet 11 and 217 pounds? Yes and no.

Moreno is a Bush-Thomas hybrid. He combines Bush's elusiveness and playmaking skills with Thomas' vision and power. But Moreno's instincts are rare, the kind that come along once every decade or so.

"I like the back at Georgia a lot," Payton said last month. "Now he comes away a little bit from that prototype that we're talking about. He's not quite the same size or a little bit different style of runner than Chris Wells is at Ohio State. But I think he's a very talented player. . . . I think he's got durability, toughness."

Sure, the Saints need defensive help, and all things being equal, their preference should be to upgrade that side of the ball. But if the impact defenders are gone, then the Saints could do worse than adding a runner with durability and toughness.

After all, the last time the Saints drafted a Heisman Trophy-winning running back (Ricky Williams) in the top five overall picks, they followed that pick a few years later with another back from the Southeastern Conference (Deuce McAllister).

That worked out OK, now didn't it?

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Jeff Duncan can be reached at jduncan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3404.